Current motor



. Oct. 11, 1938. J. G. GHOLSTON CURRENT moron Filed Aug. 16, 1955 4 Shets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1938.

J. G. GHOLSTON 2,133,023

CURRENT MOTOR I Filed Aug. 16, 19:55 4 Sheets-Shea; 2

ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1938. a H L T N 2,133,023

CURRENT MOTOR Fil ed Afig. 16, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY O t. 11, 1938. J. a. GHOLST'ON CURRENT MOTOR Filed Aug. 16, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MN LN j mfr.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE CURRENT MOTOR: v JabezgG. fiholston, Washington, I); Q.

' Application August is, 1935, Serial No. 35,586

' 1 Claim. (01, lit-'38 This invention relates to current motors ofthe hydraulic bucket chain type and has for an ob- -ject to provide a practical and economical device for developing power'from slow or fast flowing 5 watenincluding streams, rivers, tidal and ocean currentsj f I I A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the hydraulic buckets have buoyancy sufficient to partially or wholly support the entire device.

of water, character of bottom, direction of flow and other conditions are favorable for their use, novel spuds for anchoring the device in such manner as to permit unrestrained movement of the device in a vertical direction.

A further object is to providea device of this character having water ballast'tanksiocated so that the device maybe kept level under varying conditions.

- 'A further object is to provide a device of this character having pontbons for lifting the entire device out of the water. p 7

'With the above and other objects in viewthe invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, itbeing understood that various modifications maybe resorted to within the scopeof the appended claim with-- of the advantages of the'invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a currentmotor constructed in accordance with the invention, a

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the current motor.

Figure 3 is a plan View showing the current motor from the bow to about midship.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the current motor from the stern to a point about midship."

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation showing a pair of hydraulic buckets and the mountings thereof, and

buckets in elevation and partly broken away.

Referring now to the drawings in which like squarely against the-hydraulic buckets. ofthe frame facing the current is provided with A further object is to provide, when the depth out departing from thefspirit or sacrificing any,

"spud guides.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on. the line 6-6 of Figure 5 and showing one of the floating objects from becoming fouled in" the endless chain of hydraulic buckets and to serve as guides or vanes for controlling the device so that the direction of flow will be parallel with the longitudinal center' line of the device and The end a drift protection device including a frame [3' which is pointed at'the front and is provided with bars or grating H to catch and deflect floating objects. A floor [5 is laid on the drift protection being mounted between-rollers 20 arranged in sets of four rollers, two' rollers of each set having their axles disposed parallel with the longitudinal center, line ofthe device and the other two having their axles disposed parallel with the transverse center line of .the device." The rollers arecarried by framesil which extend substantially vertically from the device at the front and rear corners thereof. The spuds are sufficiently heavy to seat firmly, inthe, bottom of the stream or other bodyof water where the. device is to be used, and the spuds permit unrestrained movement of the device upwardly and downwardly since the rollers turnfreely and form non-grip The endless, hydraulic bucket chain comprises sprocket wheels 22 which are provided with concave seats 23 in the rims to receive the transverse axles 24 of the bucket chain. Each bucket 25 is preferably formed hollow so as to be buoyant, and may be formed of metal, wood, or a com- 'bination of both. When the bucket is large, or other conditions require, transverse-walls 26 are arranged within the interior of the bucket to provide water tight compartments and strengthen .the bucket. and the opposite sides 21 of the buckets slope symmetrically from the base 28 to of both.

Each bucket is mounted on certain of the chain links 30 'by means of arms 3|, as best shown in Figures 5 and 6. The links, are'connected together by the free turning axles 24 to form an endless chain and the axlesare equippedwith for towing, repairing, or other purposes.

revolvable wheels 32 which ride on track rails 33 carried by the frame of the device as shown in Figure 1, when the upper reachof'the endless chain moves'between the sprocket wheels. The axles are provided with free turning sleeves 34 which'have rotating contact with the concave seats. 23 when entering-or leavingthe sprocket wheels to reduce wear and reinforce the axles against bending strains.

The sprocket wheels 22 are fixed to shafts 35 to assure simultaneous turning in the same di-. rection of all parts and avoid gripping which I might occur if the sprocket wheels turned free on their shafts.

The frame of the craft is provided at the sides with overhangs or brackets comprising longitudinal bars 36 and transverse bars 31 as best shown in Figure 2 for the purpose ofv engaging pontoons 38. These'pontoons aret-cbe used when the buckets have insufiicient buoyancy to float the craft, and are used as auxiliary equipment for raising thev craft out of the water The pontoons are of conventional type. The pontoons push upagainst ithetransverse bars v.31 as the water expelled from them in the usual manner.

the. present embodiment of the invention illusitratesi a large pulley-4!], best shown in Figure 1, which is either fixed to one ofthe sprocket wheels'ZZ or to the shaft 35 of one of the sprocket 'wheelsand is connected by a belt 4| to a small belt pulley fixed to a shaft 42 which is carried by the frame of the device. A plurality of large belt pulleys 43 is. secured to the driven shaft 42 and these belt ipulleysare connected by belts 4 to the corresponding electric generators 39, or other apparatus, three of these being 7 l illustrated in the present ernbodiment.

11 Water ballasttanks 45 .and46, best shown in 7 Figures 3 and .2; respectively, are mounted on' the frame near the fourcorners thereof for the purpose of properly adjusting the frame with relation to the surface of the water. Should the frame have a tendency to tilt due to unbalanced weight orother cause,.the water ballast in the tanks may be adjusted to bring the longitudinal and transverse axis of the frame parallel to the surface of the water so that all of the hydraulic buckets will be immersed to identical depth below the surface of the water.

The device may be assembledon the site where it is to operate, or assembled elsewhere and towed to the location it will occupy, on the pontoons 38, or on the hydraulic buckets when they have sufficient buoyancy to support the entire device. The amount of power developed will depend upon the velocity of the current and the area of hydraulic buckets opposed to the flow.

I The hydraulic buckets can be made to penetrate the water'slightly or to their full depth by admitting or expelling water to or' from the pontoons or ballast tanks, or both.

It. will. be. pointed out that preferably the spuds I9 are formed of hollowtubingof light weight so as to be easily transported and erected,

and in use it is intended that after the spuds l are set in position water will be injected into the spuds to any desired level so that weight and stability will be added to the spuds to preventany danger of accidental-dislodgement.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation. l a

What is claimed is; a

In a current, motor, a frame, spaced parallel rails forming a track open at both ends on the frame, a free moving endless hydraulic bucket chain'ha'ving wheels riding upon the track, said chaingbeing adapted to be reversed indirection of travel on the track when current flow is reversed, buckets on the chain, an axle rigidly secured to the base of'each bucket, said track supporting the upper reach of the chain in a horizontal position, the track terminating short of each end of saidreach,-and sprocket wheels engaging the axle and moved by the chain, the upper p'ortions of the sprocket wheels being substantially level with the ends of the track so that: thechainmay move in either direction on the'track without obstruction. V p

JABEZ G. GHOLSTON. 

